A Deputy Director with
the Sokoto State Scholarship Board (SSSB), Mohammad Buhari Yusuf, has been
arraigned before the State High Court in Sokoto by the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for forgery.
Yusuf was brought
before Hon. Justice Muhammad Muhammad of High Court No.7 on a three-count
charge for allegedly signing and issuing forged scholarship sponsorship letters
to three students who used same to gain entry Visas to the United Kingdom from
the British High Commission in Abuja.
The offence is
contrary and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Act, 2000.ICPC’s prosecution counsel, Mashkur Salisu Esq, told
the court that the accused who is serving as the Deputy Director in charge of
International Student Matters of the SSSB knowingly made a false statement to
an officer of the British High Commission through the misleading documents.
The offence also
contravenes Section 25(1)(b) and punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.The accused was also
charged thus: “That you Muhammad Buhari Yusuf on or about the month of
September, 2018 or thereabouts in Sokoto within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court with intent to cause damage to the public forged a scholarship
sponsorship letter of the Sokoto State and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 348 and punishable under Section 349 of the Sokoto Penal
Code of Law, 2019.”
He pleaded not guilty
to all the charges preferred against him while the defence counsel, Nuhu Aminu
and Faruk Abdullahi prayed the court to grant bail to their client on liberal
terms.
Counsel to ICPC while
not objecting to the bail application however urged that the court grant the
bail with reasonable sureties that would ensure the attendance of the accused
at his trial.
Justice Muhammad
thereafter granted the accused person bail in the sum of One Hundred Thousand
Naira (N100, 000.00) and a surety who must be on Grade Level 15 in the Sokoto
State Civil Service with landed property.
The judge further
adjourned the matter to 12th March, 2020 for commencement of hearing.